CNG kit business witnessing standstill in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The CNG retrofitting business in the capital has come to a sudden standstill. Both authorised as well as unauthorised retrofitting centres are advising their potential customers to wait until the “uncertainty over the new rules” becomes clearer. In all retrofitting centres visited by TOI, no new orders were being taken up.

Authorised centres, however, are relieved as a significant chunk of their business was earlier being eaten up by the illegal workshops.

“The government’s order will cause problems only for the wrongdoers. The illegal workshops use cheap Chinese kits and software that are not reliable and might cost one more in the long term. We are doing genuine work so don’t need to be troubled by such orders,” said a delighted caretaker at one such centre despite facing a temporary halt in his business.

Before the transport department passed the order barring new registration of cars with CNG kits from unauthorised dealers, the illegal units had been guaranteeing “genuine papers” to “facilitate” the registration.

“Unauthorised centres source the documents from the person from whom they procure the kits. This is how the illegal system runs. Some authorised people sub-contract the job and harvest its benefits while not taking the responsibility themselves,” explained a technician manning an unauthorised centre.

Installation of the sequential Italian CNG kit typically costs around Rs 32,000-34,000. A Chinese version can be bought for Rs 22,000-26,000, while the price of a company-fitted kit is Rs 55,000-60,000. This huge difference lures people towards buying the cheaper alternative available at unauthorised workshops.

“Wait for a few days as there is a problem right now. If I install the kit and the rules change, who will take the responsibility if you don’t get the papers,” said a man running an unauthorised centre.

Another agitated owner of an illegal workshop said, “On the one hand they want to promote CNG to tackle pollution, on the other they pass orders like this. This order is just to benefit companies and big dealers.” He said that such rules ultimately won’t be enforced as the problem is quite huge. “Everyone is involved,” he added.

The transport department on Wednesday passed an order barring new registrations of petrol cars with CNG retrofitting for an unspecified period. The order will be in place till the final list of approved retrofitting centres is compiled by Delhi government. The step was taken after several complaints by authorised dealers and allegations of a ‘CNG retrofitting scam’ by Prabhat Kumar of Aam Aadmi Sena.